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The  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 


JOHN  BARRETT  :  : 
FRANCISCO  J.  YANES 


Director  General 
Assistant  Director 


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COLOMBIA 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTIVE  DATA 
PREPARED  IN  SEPTEMBER 

1914 


COLOMBIA  IN  BRIEF. 


Area,  438,436  square  miles  (1,135,549  square  kilometers). 
Population,  5,472,604.  (Census  of  1912.) 


Foreign  Commerce,  1913. 


Exports 

Imports 


$34>3i5.252 

28,535,780 


Total 


$62,851,032 


Principal  Exports:  Coffee,  gold,  cattle  hides,  bananas,  tagua 
(ivory  nuts),  Panama  hats,  rubber,  emeralds,  etc. 

Principal  Imports:  Textiles,  foodstuffs  and  condiments,  metals, 
railway  supplies,  pharmaceutical  products,  soft  drinks,  wines,  and 
liquors. 

The  climate  along  the  coasts  is  tropical,  but  in  the  elevated  regions 
of  the  interior  temperate  and  healthful.  Bogota,  the  capital, 
owing  to  its  elevation,  enjoys  a  delightfully  cool  and  salubrious 
climate  the  year  round. 

Chief  physical  characteristics:  An  extended  coast  line  on  both 
the  Caribbean  Sea  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Three  chains  of  moun¬ 
tains  cross  the  country,  one  of  these  being  the  source  of  the 
Magdalena  River,  which  empties  into  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The 
Magdalena  is  navigable  for  over  600  miles  (say  1,000  kilometers), 
while  the  Cesar,  Cauca,  Nechi,  Eebrija,  and  Sogamoso  are  navi¬ 
gable  for  varying  distances. 

Means  of  approach:  The  principal  ports  of  Colombia  on  the 
Caribbean  Sea  are  Puerto  Colombia,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Magda¬ 
lena  River  and  connected  by  rail  with  Barranquilla,  15  miles  (24 
kilometers)  distant ;  Cartagena, Santa  Marta, and  Rio  Hacha.  These 
may  all  be  reached  by  steamers  from  New  York,  or  by  transship¬ 
ment  to  coast  lines  at  Colon,  Panama.  The  first  three  have  been 
added  to  the  itinerary  of  the  United  Fruit  Company’s  steamers 
from  New  York.  They  are  ports  of  call  also  for  several  European 
lines.  On  the  Pacific  Ocean,  Buenaventura  and  Tumaco  are  the 
most  important  ports,  reached  by  all  of  the  Pacific  Coast  lines 
from  South  American  ports  and  from  Panama  from  the  north. 
There  are  regularly  traveled  roads  between  Bogota  and  Venezuela 
to  the  northeast  and  Ecuador  to  the  south. 


If  specific  information  in  regard  to  Colombia  not  contained  in  this  pamphlet  is 
desired,  the  Pan  American  Union  will  endeavor  to  provide  it  upon  application  to 
the  Director  General. 


COLOMBIA 


The  Republic  of  Colombia  covers  an  area  of  438,436  square  miles 
(1,135,549  square  kilometers),  with  a  population  of  5,472,604  (census  of 
1912),  equal  to  12.48  inhabitants  per  square  mile  (4.8  per  square 
kilometer). 

Three  chains  of  mountains  which  cross  the  country  produce  a  variety 
of  climate  and  products,  ranging  from  the  temperate  to  the  tropical. 
Coffee,  cacao,  sugar  cane,  tobacco,  and  bananas  are  successfully  grown 
and  largely  exported,  and  the  extensive  forests  contain  a  number  of 
valuable  cabinet  and  other  useful  woods  and  medicinal  plants.  Vege¬ 
table  ivory  and  rubber  are  other  products  of  export;  also  “Panama” 
hats,  in  the  manufacture  of  which  the  natives  have  acquired  considerable 
skill.  The  mineral  wealth  of  the  country  has  been  but  little  exploited 
although  its  emerald  mines  furnish  the 
world’s  chief  supply  of  these  gems.  Gold  is 
found  in  every  department,  and  silver,  plati¬ 
num,  mercury,  iron,  and  lead  also  exist. 

The  emerald  and  salt  mines  and  the  pearl 
fisheries  are  Government  monopolies.  Oil 
has  recently  been  found  in  paying  quantities. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

When  Columbus,  on  his  fourth  and  last 
voyage,  had  discovered  Cape  Gracias  a  Dios,  coat  of  arms  of 
on  September  14,  1502,  he  sailed  along  the  Colombia. 

Colombian  coast  for  a  considerable  distance,  but  did  not  make  any 
attempt  to  settle  the  country  or  conquer  the  aborigines.  It  was 
left  for  Alonso  de  Ojeda,  who  in  the  year  1508  was  granted  the  land 
lying  east  of  the  Darien  River,  which  was  termed  the  Province  of 
Uraba,  to  attempt  the  conquest  of  the  country.  Ojeda  succeeded 
in  establishing  himself  firmly  along  the  coast,  battling  continually 
with  the  Indians;  but  all  of  his  attempts  to  conquer  the  Chibcha 
Kingdom,  situated  on  the  high  plateau,  were  fruitless.  In  the  year 
1536  Jimenez  de  Quesada  undertook  the  subjugation  of  the  Chibchas 
and  at  the  same  time  two  other  expeditions,  for  the  same  purpose, 
started  from  other  points,  that  of  Frederman  and  of  Pizarro’s  first 
lieutenant,  Benalcazar.  These  three  expeditions  met  on  the  plateau, 
and  it  was  due  only  to  the  tact  and  diplomacy  of  Quesada,  that  strife 
was  avoided.  Having  succeeded  in  this,  he  established  friendly  relations 


PROMINENT  THOROUGHFARES  IN  BOGOTA.  COLOMBIA. 

Upper:  Avenida  de  Colon  (Columbus  Avenue)  which  takes  its  name  from  the  statue  of  Columbus 
which  adorns  it. 

Center:  Electric  illumination  of  Plaza  de  Bolivar  (Bolivar  Square).  In  the  background  is  the  Capitol. 
Lower:  Avenida  de  la  Republica  (Avenue  of  the  Republic) 


COLOMBIA. 


5 


with  the  aborigines,  a  highly  civilized  people,  similar  to  the  Incas  of 
Peru.  He  established  his  capital,  the  present  city  of  Bogota,  at  the 
site  of  the  old  Chibeha  capital  and  explored  the  country  in  all  directions. 

A  governor-general  was  appointed  by  Spain  and  the  name  changed 
to  the  Province  of  New  Granada,  and  in  the  year  1718  it  was  made  a 
viceroyalty.  The  first  viceroy  was  Antonio  de  la  Pedrosa  y  Guerrero, 
and  New  Granada  was  successfully  governed  by  twelve  viceroys  until 
the  year  1810,  when  the  last,  Don  Antonio  Aynar  y  Borbon,  was  deposed 
by  the  citizens  of  Bogota.  Revolutionary  movements  had  previously 
been  initiated  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  but  the  war  against  Spain 
took  definite  form  in  July  of  that  year.  On  August  7,  the  patriots  under 
the  able  leadership  of  Gen.  Simon  Bolivar  utterly  defeated  the  royalist 
forces  at  Boyaca. 

Bolivar  succeeded  in  effecting  a  union  between  Venezuela  and  the 
former  viceroyalty  of  New  Granada,  and  on  the  17th  of  December, 
1819,  the  new  Republic  formally  adopted  the  title  of  the  Republic  of 
Colombia.  On  July  12,  1821,  a  constituent  congress  met  at  Cueuta  and 
elected  Simon  Bolivar  as  the  first  President  of  the  “Greater  Colombia.” 
The  “  Intendencia  de  Quito,”  now  the  Republic  of  Ecuador,  joined  the 
union  in  the  year  1829,  but  when,  on  December  17,  1830,  Bolivar  died, 
the  union  was  dissolved,  and  New  Granada  adopted  the  title  of  the 
Republic  of  New  Granada  on  November  17,  1831.  This  title  was 
subsequently  changed  to  that  of  the  Granadine  Confederation,  later  to 
that  of  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  and  lastly  to  the  Republic  of 
Colombia.  The  change  of  name  indicates  the  various  phases  of  the 
development  of  the  country,  Colombia  having  finally  resolved  to  adopt 
the  unitary  republican  form  of  government,  which  experience  has  taught 
it  to  be  the  best  fitted  for  the  country. 

CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT. 

By  the  constitution  adopted  August  4,  1886,  the  Republic  of  Colombia 
abolished  the  Federal  Union  and  the  sovereignty  of  the  several  States 
and  adopted  the  unitary  republican  form  of  government,  with  legislative, 
executive,  and  judicial  branches. 

The  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives,  constituting  the 
National  Congress,  are  intrusted  with  the  legislative  power,  the  former 
chamber  consisting  of  35  and  the  latter  of  92  members.  Senators  are 
elected  indirectly  for  a  term  of  four  years  by  electors  chosen  for  the 
purpose,  and  representatives  are  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the  people 
for  the  same  term,  at  the  rate  of  1  for  every  50,000  inhabitants.  Two 
substitutes  are  elected  for  each  senator  and  representative  to  replace 
them  in  case  of  absence  or  inability  to  serve.  Congress  meets  at  the 


THE  CATHEDRAL,  BOGOTA,  COLOMBIA. 

This  structure  differs  from  some  of  the  others  in  the  mountains  of  South  America,  because  the  facade 
is  very  lofty  and  bold.  It  occupies  one  side  of  the  Plaza  Bolivar  in  the  center  of  the  city.  The 
building  was  not  completely  finished  until  1823.  In  the  vault  are  the  bones  of  Quesada,  the  founder 
of  the  city. 


COLOMBIA. 


7 


capital,  Bogota,  every  two  years  on  February  i,  for  a  period  of  90  days. 
It  may  prolong  its  sessions  indefinitely  or  be  called  in  extra  session  by 
the  President. 

The  President  is  elected  by  direct  vote  of  the  people  for  a  term  of 
four  years.  There  is  no  vice-president,  but  two  designados  first  and 
second,  elected  by  the  Congress,  succeed  the  President,  respectively, 
in  case  of  his  absence,  death,  or  inability  to  serve.  The  President,  the 
designados,  and  cabinet  (September,  1914)  are  as  follows: 

President,  Dr.  Jose  Vicente  Concha  (inaugurated  August  7,  1914). 

First  Designado,  Dr.  Marco  Fidel  Suarez. 

Second  Designado,  Sr.  Don  Jorge  Holguin. 

Minister  of  the  Interior,  Sr.  Don  Miguel  Abadia  Mendez. 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Sr.  Don  Marcos  Fidel  Suarez. 

Minister  of  Finance  (same  as  Minister  of  Treasury). 

Minister  of  War,  General  Isaias  Lujan. 

Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  Sr.  Dr.  Emilio  FerrERO. 

Minister  of  Agriculture  and  Commerce,  Sr.  Don  JorGe  Enrique 
Delgado.  (This  new  department  in  the  cabinet  was  created  by  virtue 
of  Law  25,  October  4,  1913). 

Minister  of  Public  Works,  Sr.  Don  Aurelio  Rueda  Acosta. 

Minister  of  the  Treasury,  Sr.  Don  Daniel  J.  Reyes. 

The  Department  of  the  Interior  (Ministerio  de  Gobierno)  is  intrusted 
with  the  administration  of  the  various  departments  and  national  terri¬ 
tories,  the  post  and  telegraph  offices,  hospitals  and  charitable  institutions, 
sanitation,  the  maintenance  of  public  health  and  the  courts  and  penal 
institutions,  Colombia  having  no  department  of  justice.  This  depart¬ 
ment  is  also  charged  with  the  supervision  of  the  press  of  the  country. 

The  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  (Ministerio  de  Relaciones  Ex- 
teriores)  has  charge  of  the  diplomatic  and  consular  corps  and  the  main¬ 
tenance  of  foreign  relations  through  them,  as  well  as  the  settlement  of 
international  boundary  disputes.  It  also  exercises  a  certain  control 
over  the  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  the  Republic. 

The  Department  of  Finance  (Ministerio  de  Hacienda)  prepares  the 
annual  budget,  collects  and  disburses  all  public  funds,  and  has  charge  of  the 
service  of  the  public  debt,  the  customhouses  and  internal-revenue  offices, 
the  control  of  the  valuable  salt  deposits,  and  the  navigation  of  rivers. 

The  War  Department  (Ministerio  de  la  Guerra)  has  charge  of  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  army  and  navy,  and  attends  to  the  instruction 
and  training  of  citizens  of  the  reserve  forces.  The  military  and  naval 
colleges  are  also  under  its  control,  as  are  also  the  national  and  rural  police. 

The  Department  of  Public  Instruction  (Ministerio  de  Instrueeion 
Publica)  exercises  supervision  and  control  over  the  public  schools,  high 
schools,  colleges,  and  institutes  for  special  instruction,  among  the  latter 
being  the  National  School  of  Commerce,  the  National  School  of  Fine 


8 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


Arts,  and  the  National  Academy  of  Music.  It  also  has  charge  of  the 
National  Library,  the  National  Museum,  and  the  Astronomical  Observa¬ 
tory,  and  through  the  various  sanitary  commissions  and  health  boards 
frequently  intervenes  in  matters  concerning  the  public  health. 

The  Department  of  Public  Works  (Ministerio  de  Obras  Publicas)  is 
intrusted  with  the  encouragement  and  regulation  of  manufacturing 


THE  PLAZA  OF  THE  MARTYRS  BOGOTA,  COLOMBIA. 

industries,  mines,  agriculture,  public  lands,  trade-marks  and  copyrights, 
the  regulation  and  administration  of  railways,  the  maintenance  of  roads 
and  bridges,  of  public  buildings,  and  other  public  works. 

The  Department  of  the  Treasury  (Ministerio  de  Tesoro)  has  charge 
of  the  mint,  the  printing  of  bank  notes,  and  the  emission  of  bonds. 

The  judiciary  comprises  a  supreme  court,  a  superior  tribunal  for  each 
Department,  and  a  number  of  minor  courts.  The  supreme  court  is 
composed  of  seven  members  appointed  by  the  President  for  a  term  of 


COLOMBIA. 


9 


five  years,  while  the  justices  of  the  superior  courts  are  appointed  for 
four  years. 

The  permanent  army  consists  of  about  7,000  officers  and  men.  Mili¬ 
tary  service  is  compulsory,1  and  the  total  war  strength  of  the  armed 
forces  is  estimated  at  120,000.  The  navy  comprises  five  cruisers,  three 
gunboats,  one  troop  ship,  and  other  auxiliary  vessels. 


STATUE  AND  PARK  BERRIO,  MEDELLIN,  COLOMBIA. 


There  are  about  700  post  offices  in  the  Republic,  handling  approxi¬ 
mately  7,000,000  pieces  of  mail  matter  per  annum.  There  are  over  500 
telegraph  offices,  with  20,000  kilometers  (12,000  miles)  of  Government 
line  in  operation.  The  Government  has  the  control  of  these  systems. 
Contracts  have  been  concluded  for  establishing  wireless  stations  at 
Bogota,  Buena  Ventura,  Medellin,  Santa  Marta,  the  island  of  San 

^he  service  is  compulsory  in  the  sense  that  the  standing  army  is  drafted,  one- 
third  every  year,  so  that  the  entire  army  is  renewed  every  three  years. 


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COLOMBIA. 


I  I 


Andres,  and  Cartagena  for  communication  with  the  West  Indies, 
Panama,  and  Venezuela.  Plans  are  underway  for  wireless  stations  also 
at  Buearamanga,  Cali,  Cueuta,  Manizales,  Tamalameque  or  El  Banco, 
Tumaeo  and  Riohaeha. 

Under  Decree  No.  340  of  1910,  and  subsequent  decrees,  the  Republic 
has  been  divided  into  14  Departments,  3  Territories  or  “Intendencies,” 
and  8  “Comisarias”  or  special  districts.  Executive  authority  in  each 
Department  is  vested  in  a  governor  appointed  by  the  President,  while 
the  Intendencies  and  Comisarias  are  governed  by  special  commissioners.  ' 
The  provincial  and  district  executive  authorities  are  likewise  appointed 
by  the  President,  but  municipal  councils  are  elected  by  direct  vote  of 
the  people. 

The  political  subdivisions  of  the  Republic  of  Colombia  are  as  follows  d 


Departments. 


Antioquia . 

Atlantico . 

Bolivar . 

Boyaca . 

Caldas . 

Cauca . 

Cundinamarca . 

Huila . 

Magdalena . 

Narino . 

Panama . 

Santander . 

Santander  del  Norte 

Tolima . 

Valle . 


Medillin . 

Barranquilla . 
Cartagena .  .  . 

Tunja . 

Manizales .  .  . 
Popayan .... 

Bogota . 

Neiva . 

Santa  Marta. 

Pasto .  . . 

Panama . 

Buearamanga 

Cueuta . 

Ibague . 

Cali . 


Capitals. 


Populations 
of  capitals. 


71 ,004 


48,907 

36,632 

8,971 

34,720 
18,724 
121 ,257 
21 ,852 
8,348 
27 ,760 
38 ,000 
19,735 


20,364 

24,693 

27,747 


Intendencias. 


del  Meta, 
del  Choco 


Comisarias. 


Villavicencio 
Quibdo . 


4,774 

15,756 


Arauca .  .  . 
Caqueta .  . 
Putumayo 
Jurado.  .  .  . 
Uruba . . . . 
Goajira.  .  . 
Vaupes .  .  . 


Arauca . 

Florencia.  .  .  . 

Moeoa . 

Jurado . 

Aeandi . 

Ouaraguarau 
Calamar . 


4,922 
2  ,034 
1  ,380 
5,656 
1  ,476 
6,244 
545 


Colombia  maintains  as  diplomatic  representative  to  the  United  States 
a  Minister  at  Washington.  It  has  a  Consul  General  in  New  York; 
Consuls  in  Mobile,  San  Francisco,  Chicago,  Baltimore,  Boston,  St.  Louis, 
Philadelphia,  Norfolk  (Va.),  and  in  Ponce  and  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico; 
Vice-Consuls  in  Los  Angeles,  New  York  and  Norfolk,  and  Consular 
Agents  in  Gulfport  (Miss.),  and  New  Orleans.  The  United  States 
maintains  a  Minister  at  Bogota,  and  has  a  Consul-General  in  Bogota, 
Consuls  in  Barranquilla  and  Cartagena,  Vice  and  Deputy  Consuls  in 
Barranquilla  and  Cartagena,  and  Agents  in  Medellin,  Quibdo,  Santa 
Marta  and  Cali. 


According  to  the  official  census  of  1912. 


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COLOMBIA. 


13 


The  money  actually  in  use  in  Colombia  is  an  inconvertible  paper 
currency,  the  exchange  rate  of  which,  considering  the  paper  peso  as  the 
unit,  is  100  pesos  to  $1.00  gold.  By  a  law  passed  October  25,  1903, 
Colombia  adopted  the  gold  standard,  selecting  as  a  monetary  unit  a 
gold  dollar  of  1.672  grams  and  0.900  fine.  Since  then  the  incon¬ 
vertible  paper  has  much  depreciated.  There  have  been  coined  a  Colom¬ 
bian  pound,  valued  at  $4.8665  United  States  gold,  and  a  half  pound. 
There  is  also  a  silver  peso,  a  half  peso,  silver  peseta  (20  centavos),  and 
a  real  (10  centavos). 

The  capital  of  the  Republic  is  the  city  of  Bogota  with  a  population 
not  much  short  of  125,000,  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  on  the  tem¬ 
perate  plateau,  at  an  elevation  of  8,564  feet  (2,610  meters).  It  lies  in 
a  healthful  and  productive  region,  with  higher  mountain  ranges  surround¬ 
ing  it.  As  the  valleys  in  the  neighborhood  are  well  inhabited  by  an 
industrious  people,  an  abundant  and  remarkably  varied  food  supply  is 
one  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  city.  The  difficulty  of  approach 
from  the  sea,  as  will  be  explained  under  railways,  is  the  only  reason  why 
Bogota  is  not  as  regularly  visited  by  foreigners,  as  it  deserves.  Among 
the  notable  public  buildings  are  the  presidential  palace,  the  national 
capitol,  the  cathedral,  several  banks,  and  the  museum.  The  city  of 
next  importance  in  the  Republic  is  Medellin,  now  accessible,  except  for 
a  short  ride  over  a  good  road,  by  railway  from  Puerto  Berrio,  one  of 
the  Magdalena  River  ports.  Medellin  is  quite  modern,  although  with 
a  history  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  country,  and  its  commercial 
activity,  and  the  general  energy  and  ambition  of  the  people,  make  it  a 
most  attractive  city.  Its  population  is  approaching  75,000.  Cali,  with 
almost  30,000  inhabitants,  is  the  interior  city  for  the  Pacific  port  of 
Buenaventura,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  most  advanced  cities  in  the 
Republic.  The  chief  ports  on  the  salt  water  are  Buenaventura  already 
mentioned,  destined  to  become,  when  the  Canal  is  in  complete  operation, 
important  for  all  the  western  region  of  Colombia;  Cartagena  on  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  the  classical  port  of  the  Spanish  Main;  Barranquilla, 
head  of  the  steamer  service  for  the  Magdalena  River  traffic,  and  Santa 
Marta,  now  revived  into  great  importance  by  the  increasing  banana 
interests  of  this  coast. 

PRODUCTS  AND  INDUSTRIES. 

The  coasts  and  hot  regions  of  the  Republic  produce  corn,  sugar  cane, 
sea-island  cotton,  rubber,  cacao,  bananas,  fibers,  tropical  fruits,  and 
vegetables,  while  the  mountains  and  uplands  yield  coffee,  apples,  peaches, 
berries,  potatoes,  wheat,  barley,  and  in  fact  all  of  the  products  of  the 
Temperate  Zone.  The  entire  country  is  suitable  for  stock  raising,  the 
pastures  in  many  sections  remaining  green  the  year  round.  Few 


14 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


countries  contain  the  latent  wealth  and  favorable  conditions  for  develop¬ 
ing  it  to  such  a  degree  as  does  Colombia. 

On  the  Magdalena,  an  adequate  labor  supply  is  obtainable  for  large 
plantations  of  bananas  as  well  as  of  cacao  and  rubber,  and  with  a  suf¬ 
ficient  population  the  Santa  Marta  district  could  within  a  few  years 
increase  its  population  tenfold.  The  valleys  of  the  Atrato  and  Leon 
have  long  been  recognized  as  having  proper  characteristics  for  the 
cultivation  of  this  fruit.  On  the  Sinu  River  there  is  also  much  good 
banana  land,  as  well  as  an  area  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  oranges, 
pineapples,  alligator  pears,  and  many  other  tropical  products.  This  is 
the  great  cattle  belt,  as  it  is  also  the  source  of  the  cedar  and  mahogany 
exported  from  Colombia. 


A  COLOMBIAN  EMERALD  IN  ITS  BED. 

Among  the  layers  found  in  the  various  deposits  of  the  mines  and  crossing  the  rocky  strata  the  emeralds 
are  encountered  in  their  natural  state.  The  beds  in  which  they  lie  are  composed  chiefly  of  a  car¬ 
bonate  of  salt. 


The  coffee  crop  of  the  Republic  yields  annually  about  600,000  bags. 
About  25,000  bags  are  retained  for  home  consumption,  the  remainder 
going  to  the  United  States  and  Europe.  The  principal  coffee  districts 
are  the  Department  of  Cundinamarca,  which  produces  the  renowned 
Bogota  brand;  the  Ocana,  Cucuta,  and  Bucaramanga  districts,  in  the 
Department  of  Santander,  and  in  the  Tolima  and  smaller  valleys  of  the 
Cordilleras.  Exports  of  coffee  for  1912  amounted  to  55,993  tens, 
valued  at  $16,777,908. 

The  gathering  of  ivory  nuts,  the  fruit  of  the  tagua  palm,  from  which 
the  higher  grades  of  buttons  are  manufactured,  is  one  of  the  growing 
industries  of  the  country.  The  exports  of  this  product  during  1912 
were  valued  at  $754,707. 


EMERALD  WASHING  IN  COLOMBIA. 

The  traditional  method  in  preparing  emeralds  is  still  followed  in  Colombia.  After  removing  the  loose 
earth  covering  the  stones  they  are  then  washed  in  the  abundant  supply  of  water  found  within  easy 
reach  of  the  mines. 


i6 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


In  some  departments,  notably  Antioquia,  the  mineral  industry  is  well 
established,  while  the  Marmato  and  Sueio  River  gold  deposits  are  said 
to  be  equal  to  those  of  the  Transvaal.  It  is  said  that  the  entire  Pacific 
coast  of  Colombia  has  been  formed  by  gold-bearing  alluvial,  so  that 
with  more  effective  development  a  great  mining  center  will  be  estab¬ 
lished.  The  great  gold-bearing  region  is  found  in  the  Department  of 
Antioquia  and  in  the  mountain  ranges  that  separate  the  Cauca  and 
Magdalena  Rivers.  In  this  large  area  of  many  thousands  of  square 
miles,  wherever  there  is  gravel  there  is  gold,  and  back  in  the  mountains, 
where  the  rock  has  been  laid  bare,  veins  are  found  everywhere.  These 
veins  contain  treasures  of  gold  that  can  be  extracted  by  the  systematic 
use  of  modern  machinery  and  methods.  Many  hundreds  of  miles  of 
this  rich  territory  have  never  been  explored  except  by  the  Indian  hunter. 

Recent  gold  discoveries  near  Neiva,  on  the  upper  Magdalena  River, 
have  opened  up  a  new  section  of  the  gold  belt.  It  is  known  that  the 
Department  of  Narino,  bordering  on  the  Ecuador  line,  is  rich  in  the 
precious  metal.  Gold  nuggets  are  found  in  the  gravel  beds  of  all  the 
rivers  of  this  section  flowing  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Discoveries  have 
also  been  made  of  rich  gold-bearing  quartz  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
Andagueda  and  Chirvigo  Rivers,  distant  about  125  miles  from  Quibdo. 

Copper  ores  are  very/’abundant  in  Colombia,  but  owing  to  the  richness 
of  the  country  in  gold  and  silver  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  the 
common  metals.  When  the  value  of  the  copper  deposits  becomes  better 
known  and  appreciated,  Colombia  will  without  doubt  rank  as  one  of  the 
greatest  copper-producing  countries  of  the  world.  Copper  ores  are 
found  in  the  Ocana  and  Velez  districts,  in  the  Department  of  Santander, 
in  the  districts  of  Moniguica  and  Santa  Rosa,  in  the  Department  of 
Boyaca,  and  in  the  Department  of  Antioquia. 

Russia  is  the  only  country  whose  platinum  output  exceeds  that  of 
Colombia.  This  metal,  which  is  always  found  mixed  with  gold,  comes 
from  the  gravels  of  the  Choco  district,  its  main  source  being  the  Platina 
and  Condoto  Rivers,  which  are  tributary  to  the  San  Juan  River.  It  is 
also  obtained  from  some  of  the  streams  that  flow  into  the  Atrato  River. 

Coal  is  found  in  the  Cordillera,  lignite  on  the  coasts,  and  coking 
and  steam  coal  in  the  interior.  Valuable  deposits  have  been  discovered 
recently  between  the  Atrato  and  Leon  Rivers;  in  short,  the  Colombian 
coal  fields  are  well  located  to  take  advantage  of  the  market  facilities 
which  will  become  available  with  the  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal. 

The  petroleum  deposits  are  said  to  resemble  those  of  the  Beaumont, 
Tex.,  oil  fields.  The  quality  of  the  product  is  excellent  and  it  was 
awarded  the  first  prize  in  the  Centennial  Exposition  held  at  Bogota  in 
July,  1910.  Refineries  have  been  established  for  the  elaboration  of 


COLOMBIA. 


17 


gasoline,  benzine,  paraffin,  and  other  by-products  from  the  crude 
petroleum. 

Iron  ores  are  abundant  in  the  Republic,  and  shipments  of  high-grade 
asphalt  are  made  from  Santander. 

The  principal  manufacturing  industries  are  those  for  the  making 
of  textile  goods,  glass,  earthenware,  matches,  and  hats,  iron  foundries, 
and  flour  and  sugar  mills. 


A  VERTICAL  COAL  SEAM,  NEAR  CALI.  COLOMBIA, 
4  FEET  7  INCHES  THICK. 

In  the  Cauea  Valley,  en  route  from  Caldas  to  Cali,  coal  beds 
running  from  a  few  inches  to  6  or  7  feet  in  thickness  are 
found.  It  is  believed  that  borings  at  Cali  would  show 
coal  underlying  the  floor  of  the  valley  which  is  about  25 
to  30  miles  wide. 


All  or  very  nearly  all  the  emeralds  mined  today  come  from  Colombia. 
And,  in  spite  of  the  supposed  higher  value  of  diamonds,  the  emerald 
is  the  most  precious  of  gems.  Carat  for  carat,  a  flawless  emerald 
would  bring  perhaps  three  times  the  price  of  a  flawless  diamond  in  the 
jewelry  market.  India,  the  storehouse  of  pereious  stones,  is  credited 
with  produeingthe  first  emeralds,  but  the  oriental  emerald  is  not  identical 


i8 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


with  the  modern  gem,  as  it  is  a  variety  of  the  ruby,  of  a  green  color  and 
extremely  rare. 

“Smaragdus,”  the  Greek  word  from  which  emerald  is  traced,  really 
meant  any  green  stone,  and  this  led  to  some  confusion  in  identifying 
the  true  character  of  the  jewels  referred  to  under  this  name  in  ancient 
writings.  Now  the  name  is  only  applied  to  that  gem  of  the  beryl  family 
of  a  bright  green  color  (due  to  traces  of  a  quantity  of  oxide  of  chromium), 
a  translucent  hexagonal  crystal  with  glass-like  luster  and  uneven  frac¬ 
ture,  composed  of  silica,  alumina,  glucina,  magnesia,  and  soda.  It  is 
brittle  and  comparatively  soft  when  fresh  from  the  mines,  but  hardens 
on  exposure  to  air.  Today  emeralds  are  found  in  Austria,  in  Siberia, 
in  India  and  especially  in  Colombia. 


ANOTHER  COAL  SEAM  NEAR  CALI,  COLOMBIA,  4  FEET  6  INCHES  THICK. 

On  a  trip  from  Cali  to  Juanchito  coa  from  one  of  the  openings  in  the  vicinity  was  used,  and 
proved  very  satisfactory.  Steam  was  kept  up  easily,  and  with  small  consumption  a  beauti¬ 
ful,  hot,  white  fire  with  a  brown  smoke  was  the  result.  There  was  little  ash  and  the  coal 
appeared  to  be  free  from  slate  and  other  impurities. 


Tradition  has  it  that  an  Aztec  gem  appropriated  by  Cortez  was 
valued  at  40,000  ducats.  Another  wonderful  stone,  the  size  of  an  ostrich 
egg,  was  found  in  the  Manka  Valley,  Peru,  where  the  Indians  worshipped 
it  as  the  Goddess  of  Emeralds.  The  Spanish  conquerors  opened  up 
the  mines  of  Colombia  in  1540.  The  richest  mineral  areas  were  those 
of  Muzo  and  Coscuez,  about  75  miles  (47  kilometers)  north  of  Bogota, 
and  the  Somondoco  or  Chivor  group,  about  80  miles  (149  kilometers) 
northeast  of  Bogota,  at  an  elevation  of  about  6,500  feet  (say  2,000 
meters)  above  sea  level.  A  curious  fact  in  the  history  of  these  latter 
mines  is  that  they  were  closed  and  lost  to  the  world  in  an  enveloping 


COLOMBIA. 


19 


forest  of  jungle  for  over  a  hundred  years  and  only  rediscovered  some 
fourteen  years  ago. 

The  Government  of  Colombia  controls  the  exploitation  of  emeralds, 
leasing  the  mining  districts  to  the  working  companies.  The  Muzo 
group,  from  which  the  finest  emeralds  come,  has  an  estimated  yearly 
output  of  262,548  carats  of  the  first  class,  467,690  second  class,  22,700 
third  class,  and  16,000  fourth  class.  The  Coscuez  group,  named  for 
an  Indian  princess,  which  produced  the  variety  of  emerald  called  canu- 
tillo,  one  of  the  most  valuable  stones,  is  now  in  the  category  of  “lost 
mines,”  the  exact  location  being  unknown.  The  Somondoco  or  Chivor 
group,  not  now  being  worked,  is  supposed  to  possess  a  matrix  that 
would  yield  a  half  million  dollars’  worth  of  emeralds  a  year. 


STREET  SCENE,  BARRANQUILLA,  COLOMBIA. 

Barranquilla,  the  most  important  commercial  city  of  Colombia  and  capital  of  the  province  of  the 
same  name,  is  situated  on  the  Magdalena  River  15  miles  from  its  mouth.  A  railroad  18  miles  long 
connects  the  city  with  Puerto  Cclombia  on  the  seacoast,  where  there  is  an  excellent  pier.  An 
extensive  commerce  is  carried  on  from  the  Barranquilla  docks  with  the  interior  by  river  steam¬ 
ers,  and  a  large  part  of  the  foreign  trade  of  the  Republic  passes  through  this  port.  The  principal 
exports  are  coffee,  hides,  tobacco,  cacao,  rubber,  ores,  etc. 


The  Cuincha  group,  across  the  Minero  River  from  the  Muzo  mines, 
forms  a  new  field  of  much  promise. 

The  emerald-mining  country  of  Colombia  is  extremely  inaccessible, 
and  the  difficulties  of  transport  force  a  recourse  to  the  simplest  methods 
in  order  to  extract  the  stones.  The  Muzo  mine  is  in  what  seems  to  be 
the  bowl  of  an  extinct  volcano,  and  the  method  in  use  there  is  typical. 
Twenty  or  thirty  laborers  with  picks  and  crowbars  break  out  the  face 
of  the  crater  along  a  determined  line,  leaving  a  trail  of  green  quartz 
that  contains  the  crystals;  the  quartz  is  then  cut  and  separated  with 
the  greatest  care,  for  the  gems  are  extremely  fragile  when  in  the  matrix^ 


20 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


and  the  debris  dropped  into  a  sluiceway,  where  it  it  washed  by  a  stream 
of  water  coming  with  force  from  the  higher  planes  of  the  mine;  the  water 
is  then  drained  off  and  the  sediment  searched  for  the  green  gems.  It 
was  by  just  this  method  that  the  most  valuable  single  emerald  in  the 
world  was  found. 


COMMERCE. 

The  only  available  figures  for  the  year  1913  are  the  totals  covering 
the  imports  and  the  exports  of  Colombia  for  that  period.  These  are 
imports  $28,535,780,  and  exports  $34,315,252,  a  total  of  $62,851,032. 
In  all  probability,  however,  the  figures  in  detail,  when  received,  will  not 
differ  materially  from  those  of  1912,  as  given  below. 

The  foreign  trade  of  Colombia  for  the  year  1912,  according  to  the 
report  of  Senor  Don  Roberto  Caycedo,  Director  General  of  Statistics, 
amounted  to  $56,186,369.16,  of  which  $23,964,623.00  were  imports,  and 
$32,221,746.16  were  exports. 


INTERIOR  OF  A  RETAIL  STORE  IN  BARRANQUILLA,  COLOMBIA 
Display  of  imported  goods. 


COLOMBIA. 


21 


Imports. 


The  imports,  by  countries  of  origin,  were  as  follows: 


191 1 

1912 

United  Kingdom . 

United  States . 

Germany . 

$5,838,789.69 

5.404.975-96 

3,242,634.90 

1  ,7i8,747-8o 

$7,838,878.65 
7,612,037.33 
4,201 ,125.43 
2 ,01 1 ,886. 16 
596,880.48 

570,918.91 

476,968 . 86 
82,621.84 
60,723.81 
53,264.20 
459,317-33 

France . 

T  t  a  1  v . 

ReleFim 

Spain . 

Venezuela . 

397,733-47 

Dutch  West  Indies . 

Panama . 

Other  countries . 

31,790.68 

1 ,474,190.86 

Total . 

18 , 108 ,863 .36 

23,964,623.00 

The  imports  by  major  groups  of  articles  for  the  years  1911  and  1912 
were: 


1 9 1 1 

1912 

Textiles . 

$8,025,856.43 

$10,547,134-45 

Foodstuffs  and  condiments . 

2,191, 009 . 09 

3,054,952.65 

Metals . 

Transportation:  Railway  cars,  carriages, 

2 , 004 ,081.63 

2 ,916,924.80 

wagons,  etc . 

726,048.34 

1,031,711.07 

Drugs  and  medicines . 

762 ,208 . 83 

838,348.53 

Soft  drinks,  wines,  and  liquors . 

628,595.70 

835,772.25 

Material  for  the  arts  and  trades . 

702,856.33 

620,251 . 12 

Lighting  and  fuel . 

37i ,447- 17 

564,063.38 

Ceramics  and  stones . 

457,381 .19 

503,579-03 

Paper  and  cardboard . 

453,701 .60 

477,522.20 

Hides  and  skins,  and  manufactures  thereof  .... 

3x0,440.50 

459,606.95 

Agricultural  and  mining  products . 

323 ,074.01 

381 ,587.91 

Woods . 

226,372.79 

317,401.97 

Electrical  material . 

100,089 ■ 69 

175 ,638.63 

Oils  and  greases . 

106,818.66 

171  ,733-5i 

Perfumery  and  soap . 

97,338.89 

152,169.87 

Varnishes,  colors,  and  inks . 

104,345-76 

125 , 862 . 1 1 

Rubber,  celluloid,  etc . 

84,504.76 

102 ,358.04 

Explosives  and  combustibles . 

38,419.53 

94,116.21 

Tortoise  shell,  horn,  etc . 

53,501 .94 

75,600.46 

Musical  instruments . 

55,76766 

69,622 . 64 

Firearms,  accessories,  and  ammunition . 

48,991 .98 

57,438.88 

Live  animals . . 

7D79-30 

26,016 . 89 

Miscellaneous . 

228,781 .51 

365,209.45 

Total . 

18,108, 863 . 36 

23,964,623.00 

STATUETTES  CARVED  BY  THE  DESCENDANTS  OF  THE  CHIBCHA  INDIANS  OF  BOGOTA,  COLOMBIA. 

The  art  of  carving  these  little  figures  is  said  to  be  handed  down  from  father  to  son.  Not  the  least  merit  of  the  work  is  their  fidelity  to  life;  the  figures  are  truthful 
representations  to  the  minutest  details  of  typical  Indian  men  and  women  as  they  can  be  seen  daily  trudging  from  the  mountains  down  to  the  market  place  of 
Bogota,  carrying  their  ware  to  offer  for  sale. 


COLOMBIA. 


23 


The  imports  by  ports  of  entry  for  the  years  1909,  1910,  191 1,  and  1912 
were: 


1909 

1910 

1 9 1 1 

1912 

Barranquilla . 

$5 ,744.569-82 

$10,060, 169 . 15 

$9,613,555-27 

$12,445,532.38 

Cartagena . 

2,264,469.52 

3,977,477-94 

4,335,805.75 

5 ,084,306.89 

Buenaventura . 

1 ,031 ,941 .00 

1 ,278 ,380.65 

1  ,853 ,537-45 

3,839,770-5i 

Tumaco . 

764,761 .04 

970,546.29 

1  ,052 ,494-22 

1,171 ,372.83 

Cucuta . 

474 ,426.09 

518,271 .79 

692,981 .45 

768 ,468.02 

Santa  Marta . 

151 ,032.64 

97,721 .59 

378,751.88 

444,035.96 

Ipiales . 

36,674.25 

45 ,030.20 

57 ,593 -09 

69,706.74 

Riohacha . 

59,879.90 

45,171.80 

83 ,969 . 80 

68,689.89 

Arauca . 

33,292.44 

23 ,801 . 72 

2  1  ,846 . 96 

44,420.51 

Orocue . 

9 ,065.92 

18  ,327.49 

28,319.27 

Total . 

10,561 ,046 . 70 

17,025 ,637.05 

18,108 ,863 .36 

23  ,964 ,623 .00 

Exports. 


The  exports  for  the  years  19 1 1  and  1912,  by  countries  and  destination, 
were  as  follows: 

_ # _ _ _ _ 


1 9 1 1 

1912 

United  States . 

$12,248,995.38 

$15,832,882.08 

United  Kingdom . 

4,596,i37-8i 

4,376,182.31 

Germany . 

1 ,910,353-75 

1  ,854,211 .09 

France . 

769,189.48 

625 ,198.88 

Spain . 

119,654.55 

302 ,918.00 

Panama . : . 

42,977-25 

73 ,470.10 

Other  countries . 

2,688,591 .34 

9,156,883.70 

Total . 

22  ,375,899-56 

32,221 ,74616 

The  exports,  by  classes,  were  as  follows: 


1 9 1 1 

1912 

Vegetable  products . 

$14 

375 

300 

82 

$20 

792 

418 

38 

Mineral  products . 

4 

507 

761 

72 

7 

769 

387 

69 

Animal  products . 

1 

960 

409 

76 

2 

258 

701 

03 

Manufactured  products . 

1 

347 

393 

97 

1 

210 

678 

56 

Live  animals . 

92 

852 

64 

150 

605 

60 

Miscellaneous  products . 

7 

445 

49 

31 

808 

90 

Currency . 

84 

735 

25 

8 

146 

00 

Total . 

22 

375 

899 

56 

32 

22  1 

746 

16 

l 


Top  picture:  An  unusually  gocd  view  of  the  Falls  of  Tequendama.  The  effect  of  the  yellow'  water  as 
it  makes  its  great  leap  is,  under  certain  sunlight  conditions,  like  a  mighty  stream  of  molten  gold. 

Lower  picture:  Mountain  scenery  in  the  heart  of  the  Andes,  photographed  by  Mr.  Arthur  W.  DuBois, 
son  of  the  former  U.  S.  minister,  during  his  io-day  journey  to  vist  the  Muzo  mines,  the  greatest 
deposit  of  emeralds  in  the  world.  These  mines  are  between  the  great  Sabana  of  Bogota  and  the  Mag¬ 
dalena  River  and  are  a  Government  monopoly.  They  produce  a  handsome  revenue  each  year.  The 
best  emerald  ever  taken  from  this  mine  was  valued  at  ^75,000. 


COLOMBIA. 


25 


Under  the  various  classifications  the  principal  exports  were: 


1911 

1912 

Quantities. 

Value. 

Quantities. 

Value. 

Vegetable  products: 

$16,777 ,908.28 

Coffee . 

. . . tons . . 

37.900 

$9,475 ,448.89 

55 ,993 

Bananas . 

.  . do . .  .  . 

109 , 786 

2,172  ,  OOO  .  OO 

105,263 

1 ,996  ,999  07 

1 agua . 

.  . do . .  .  . 

10,990 

739,419.00 

1 1 ,599 

754,707.71 

Rubber . 

..do ...  . 

577 

900 , 886 . 90 

503 

736,427.39 

Leaf  tobacco . 

. . do. . . . 

3  .911 

332  ,935  00 

3,262 

442 ,461 .15 

Mineral  products: 

Gold  in  bars . 

Gold  dust . 

kilos .  . 

. .do. . . . 

7  .683 
2,891 

2  ,454.834  83 

1  ,296,797.54 

|  19,642 

4,610,073.39 

Platinum . 

. . do. . . . 

2  ,554 

345 ,896.00 

875 

594 ,188.20 

Animal  products: 

Cattle  hides . 

tons . . 

4.449 

1  ,779,790.21 

5.168 

2 ,261  ,721 .50 

Manufactured  products: 

Panama  hats  (Tumaco) 

.  kilos .  . 

36,167 

550,243.00 

56,522 

417 ,826.09 

Panama  hats  (Suaza)  .  . 

.  . do . .  .  . 

57,617 

538,578.00 

78,927 

756,815.00 

The  exports  by  ports  of  clearance  for  the  years  1909,  1910,  1911,  and 
1912  were: 


1909 

1910 

1 9 1 1 

1912 

Barranquilla . 

Cartagena . 

Riohacha . 

Cucuta . 

Santa  Marta . 

Tumaco . 

Buenaventura . 

Arauca . 

$5,689,017.37 

4,548,895.75 

146,422.06 

1,211,453.90 

1,310,755.63 

1 ,293 ,368. 16 
1,171, 405 . 00 
84,434.96 
57,573-40 

$7,139,083.42 

5 , 178,441  63 

161 ,507.29 
861 ,918.20 

1 ,770,067 . 96 

1  , 164,561 .57 

1 , 153  ,523  00 
83 ,068 . 22 
84,272.85 
28 ,708 . 60 

$8,244,491 .99 
5,927,15930 
234,460.60 

2 ,087,654.70 

2 ,303 ,223 .33 

1 ,573 ,340. 16 

i ,780,742 .04 
92,836.48 
70,519.50 
61 ,416.46 

$12 ,231 ,609.08 
6 ,665 , 159 . 20 
4,861 ,511 .70 
2,992,9I7.74 
2  ,453 ,630.69 
1  ,417,153 ■ 19 
i  ,342 ,966 . 69 
121 , IOI . 20 
67  ,964.81 
67,731.86 

Total . 

15. 513, 346. 23 

17,625,152.74 

22,375,899.56 

32  ,221 ,746. 16 

RAILWAYS  AND  INTERIOR  WATERWAYS. 

The  peculiar  geographical  features  of  the  Republic  have  rendered  the 
construction  of  extended  railroad  lines  a  very  expensive  and  difficult 
undertaking.  The  chain  of  the  Andes  divides  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  country  into  three  distinct  ranges,  the  middle  one  of  which  ceases 
some  150  miles  (242  kilometers)  from  the  northern  coast,  thus  permitting 
the  Cauca  River,  which  rises  between  the  central  and  western  range, 
to  unite  with  the  Magdalena  some  distance  above  its  entrance  into  the 
Caribbean  Sea.  To  reach  Bogota  from  the  west  coast,  which  would 
be  by  far  the  shortest  route  from  the  ocean,  a  railroad  would  have  to 
traverse  not  only  the  western  and  central  ranges,  but  mount  to  the 
plateaus  of  the  third  range,  on  which  the  capital  is  situated. 

The  Magdalena  River,  which  is  at  present  the  only  available  outlet 
from  Bogota  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  is  impassable  at  several  points  on 
account  of  rapids  and  has  a  bar  at  its  mouth  which  impedes  navigation. 
Barranquilla,  at  which  point  the  river  journey  to  the  capital  begins,  is 
about  15  miles  (24  kilometers)  by  rail  from  the  seaport  of  Savanilla. 


26 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


The  traveler  can  also  make  the  trip  by  rail  from  Cartagena  to  Calamar 
65  miles  (105  kilometers),  taking  the  steamer  at  the  latter  point.  A 
journey  by  water  is  then  made  to  La  Dorada,  where  a  change  is  made  to 
the  railroad,  and  a  second  river  trip  commenced  at  Puerto  Beltran,  and 
the  final  stage  of  the  journey  made  by  rail  from  Girardot  to  Bogota,  the 
total  time  consumed  being  about  seven  days. 


CALDAS  STATION  ON  THE  PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 

This  is  at  present  the  termination  of  the  Ferrocarril  del  Paeifieo,  which  runs  from  Buenaventura. 
The  train  leaves  that  seaport  at  7  a.  m.,  arriving  by  noon  at  Caldas.  If  an  early  start  is  made 
from  here  the  next  morning,  Cali  can  be  reached  in  the  afternoon. 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  CALI  FROM  SAN  ANTONIO  HILL,  AT  THE  WEST  SIDE  OF 

THE  TOWN,  COLOMBIA. 


COLOMBIA. 


27 


There  is  as  yet  no  continuous  railroad  system  within  the  Republic, 
but  there  are  many  short  lines  at  present  engaged  chiefly  in  local  traffic, 
which,  when  their  plans  are  fully  carried  out,  will  connect  the  coast  on 
both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  sides  with  the  centers  of  production. 
Those  lines  which  tap  the  valleys  of  the  Atrato  and  Cauca  Rivers  will 
probably  at  some  future  date  form  a  part  of  the  proposed  Pan  American 
railway  system. 

There  are  two  short  lines  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  Republic, 
but  the  interests  of  most  of  the  lines  now  in  operation  are  bound  up 
with  those  of  the  capital,  the  whole  eastern  and  southern  territory  from 
Bogota  to  the  Venezuela  and  Ecuador  boundaries  having  no  rail  con¬ 
nection  with  the  more  settled  sections  of  the  country. 

The  length  of  railways  in  operation  in  the  Republic  is  988  kilometers 
(614  miles).3  The  following  table  shows  the  lines  in  actual  operation 


and  the  mileage  of  each: 

Kilos. 

Barranquilla  Ry .  27 

Cartagena  Ry .  105 

Santa  Marta  Ry .  94 

Cucuta  Ry .  71 

Great  Northern  Central  (Puerto  Wileh.es)  Ry .  32 

Antioquia  or  Puerto  Berrio  R}r .  142 

Amaga  Ry .  8 

Dorada  Ry .  119 

Girardot  Ry .  132 

Sabana  Ry .  40 

Colombian  Northern  Ry .  62 

Southern  Ry .  29 

Pacific  (Cauca)  Ry . * .  94 

Cali  tramway .  8 

Espinal  or  Tolima  Ry .  25 


The  lines  from  Barranquilla  and  Cartagena,  as  already  stated,  run 
from  the  north  coast  and  connect  with  the  steamer  routes  on  the  Mag¬ 
dalena  River.  The  Santa  Marta  road  also  starts  on  the  north  coast  and 
runs  to  the  town  of  Fundacion,  on  the  river  of  the  same  name.  It 
is  the  outlet  for  a  large  banana  district,  and  the  railroad  company  has 
contracted  for  extensions  into  new  territory  which  are  expected  to 
materially  increase  the  output  of  that  fruit.  The  bay  of  Santa  Marta 
offers  a  safe  anchorage  all  the  year  round;  there  is  a  wharf  with  accom¬ 
modations  for  large  steamers  and  a  depth  of  water  of  30  feet. 


3About  48  kilometers  (30  miles)  completed  in  1912,  should  be  added  to  these  figures. 


28 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


The  Great  Northern  Central  line  starts  from  Puerto  Wilehes,  on  the 
Magdalena,  and  is  under  construction  toward  Bucaramanga,  with  the 
ultimate  expectation  of  being  built  to  the  capital. 

The  Dorada  Railway  was  constructed  in  order  to  afford  a  means  of 
easy  transportation  around  the  rapids  of  the  Magdalena,  which  here 
make  navigation  impossible.  The  line  extends  from  Ta  Dorada  through 
Honda  to  Ambalema,  but  passengers  leave  the  train  to  take  the  steamer 
route  to  Puerto  Beltran. 

The  Girardot  Railway  starts  at  the  Magdalena  and  joins  the  Sabana 
line  at  Facatativa,  the  latter  line  running  direct  to  Bogota  and  thus 


PORT  OF  AMBALEMAN,  ON  THE  MAGDALENA  RIVER.  COLOMBIA. 


completing  the  line  of  communication  between  the  Caribbean  Sea  and 
the  capital  of  the  Republic.  These  two  roads  are,  of  course,  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  Colombia,  for  previous  to  their  completion  it  was 
necessary  to  take  a  long  trip  by  muleback  over  the  mountains  to  the 
river.  The  Tolima  Railway  is  a  short  private  line  running  from  the 
Magdalena  at  Girardot  to  the  town  of  Espinal. 

Two  other  lines,  the  Colombian  Northern  and  the  Southern  Railway, 
run  from  Bogota  through  the  extensive  savanas,  the  former  to  the 
north  and  the  latter  terminating  in  the  town  of  Sibate,  toward  the  south¬ 
west.  The  Colombian  Northern  is  now  in  operation  toNemocon  and  is 
expected  to  continue  on  to  Chiquinoquira,  66  miles  (106  kilometers) 
farther,  where  it  will  meet  the  Puerto  Wilehes  line  to  be  extended  from 
Bucaramanga.  If  the  plans  for  this  route  are  carried  out,  these  two 


COLOMBIA. 


29 


roads  will  form  a  great  trunk  line  from  Bogota  to  the  Magdalena,  which 
will  not  only  shorten  the  distance  and  the  time  consumed  in  the  journey 
to  the  coast  but  will  open  up  a  vast  extent  of  territory  now  but  little 
developed. 

The  Cucuta  Railway  is  a  short  line  connecting  the  city  of  that  name 
with  the  port  of  Villamizar,  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Zulia  River, 
with  an  extension  to  Tachira  on  the  Venezuelan  frontier. 

The  Pacific  Railway,  which,  starting  from  Buenaventura  on  the  west 
coast,  runs  to  the  prosperous  city  of  Cali  and  thence  through  the  Cauca 
Valley.  Cali  was  also  connected  with  the  Cauca  River  in  July,  1919,  by 
a  short  steam  tramway.  The  Pacific  line  is  expected  to  follow  the 


AT  THE  JUANCHITO  TERMINAL  OF  THE  CALI  TRAMWAY,  COLOMBIA. 

From  Cali  a  narrow-gauge  railway  runs  to  Juanchito,  about  7  miles  (1 1  kilometers)  distant  and  situated 
on  the  Cauca  River.  The  line  was  constructed  mainly  for  freight  service  between  Cali  and  the  river, 
but  the  passenger  traffic  has  developed  as  successfully  as  the  freight. 


30 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


Valley  of  the  Cauea  for  a  considerable  distance,  and  will  furnish  an 
outlet  to  the  sea  for  the  increasing  commerce  of  that  district.  With 
the  completion  of  this  line  and  the  railroad  connecting  the  Cauca  with 
the  cities  of  Amaga  and  Medellin,  also  that  between  Medellin  and 
Puerto  Berrio  on  the  Magdalena,  the  products  of  a  large  part  of  the 
Republic  will  be  much  more  easily  and  quickly  transported  to  foreign 
markets  than  at  present,  so  that  the  commerce  of  the  country  should 
receive  an  impetus  it  has  never  before  known. 

Colombia  has  a  fine  system  of  waterways,  the  most  important  of 
which  is  the  Magdalena,  navigable  by  vessels  of  considerable  draft  for 
a  distance  of  over  600  miles  (966  kilometers)  and  by  smaller  craft  300 
miles  (483  kilometers)  farther.  The  Atrato  is  navigable  for  200  miles 
(322  kilometers)  inland  and  the  Sinu  for  no  miles  (177  kilometers). 
The  Cauca,  the  Zulia,  the  Cesar,  the  Nechi,  the  Lebrija,  the  Sogamoso, 
and  some  of  the  smaller  tributaries  are  also  navigable  for  various 
distances. 

The  steamer  service  to  Colombia  is  obtained  on  both  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  sides.  To  Buenaventura  on  the  Pacific,  local  steamers  of 
all  lines  running  south  from  Panama  make  regular  passage,  the  distance 
being  355  miles  (571  kilometers);  express  steamers,  however,  do  not 
stop  at  Colombian  ports.  Cartagena  and  Barranquilla  (in  reality  this 
is  Savanilla,  for  Barranquilla  is  rather  the  city  on  the  River)  are  regular 
ports  of  call  for  steamers  between  Colon  and  European  ports,  on  such 
lines  as  the  Royal  Mail,  the  Hamburg- American  (Atlas  service),  the 
Compagnie  Generale  Transatlantique,  the  Veloce  and  the  Compania 
Trasatlantica.  Santa  Marta,  farther  to  the  east,  is  now  in  direct  con¬ 
nection  with  New  York  by  the  steamers  of  the  United  Fruit  Company. 

Some  of  the  interior  highways,  especially  from  Bogota  and  Medillin, 
are  so  well  built  that  automobile  service  is  conducted  on  them,  but  much 
of  the  travel  from  place  to  place  must  be  restricted  to  cart  road  of  a 
rather  primitive  character,  or  even  to  mule  paths,  too  narrow  to  admit 
a  wheeled  vehicle.  The  pleasures  of  these  journeys  fully  compensates, 
however,  for  the  lack  of  some  of  the  luxuries  easily  at  hand  of  the 
traveler  in  more  thickly  populated  countries. 

Colombia  is  a  land  of  contrasts,  from  the  tropic  coast  to  the  temperate 
plateau  and  even  to  the  snow  clad  mountains  of  the  Cordillera.  It  has 
not  yet  become  a  tourist  country,  although  every  attraction  of  natural 
beauty  can  be  found  there.  Near  Bogota  are  the  Falls  of  Tequendama, 
higher  than  Niagara  but  not  so  voluminous;  a  miracle  spring  is  worth 
visiting,  and  many  interesting  remains  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants 
can  be  found  in  the  neighborhood  and  studied.  As  railway  facilities 
increase,  Colombia  is  sure  to  become  better  known  to  the  transient 
visitor. 


COLOMBIA. 


31 


EDUCATION. 

Education  in  Colombia  is  under  the  control  of  the  Minister  of  Public 
Instruction.  There  are  five  subdivisions,  designated  as  follows :  Primary, 
secondary,  professional,  artistic  and  industrial.  In  1913  there  were 
reported  to  be  5,225  schools  with  an  attendance  of  about  335,480  pupils. 
Although  primary  instruction  is  free,  it  has  not  yet  been  made  compul¬ 
sory,  but  the  Government  is  taking  active  steps  to  place  the  schools  and 
the  school  system  on  a  modern  basis.  Many  of  the  schools  for  secondary 
education  are  entrusted  to  religious  bodies.  There  is  a  university  at 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MEDELLIN,  MEDELLIN,  COLOMBIA. 


Bogota,  founded  in  1572,  with  faculties  in  letters,  philosophy,  law  and 
political  sciences,  medicine  and  natural  sciences,  and  in  mathematics 
and  engineering.  A  university  at  Medillm  was  founded  in  1822,  and 
in  1913  the  University  of  Magdalena  was  founded  at  Santa  Marta. 
Great  effort  has  been  made  to  establish  schools  of  arts  and  crafts  for 
the  working  classes,  and  gratifying  success  has  been  the  result.  The 
art  schools  in  the  larger  cities  are  always  well  attended.  Normal  schools 
to  the  number  of  21  have  been  founded  in  13  departments,  and  Medellin 
and  Pasto  have  each  a  mining  school. 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION  is  the  inter¬ 
national  organization  and  office  maintained 
in  Washington,  D.  C.,  by  the  twenty-one 
American  republics,  as  follows:  Argentina,  Bolivia, 
Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Costa  Rica,  Cuba,  Domini¬ 
can  Republic,  Ecuador,  Guatemala,  Haiti,  Honduras, 
Mexico,  Nicaragua,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Salva¬ 
dor,  United  States,  Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  It  is 
devoted  to  the  development  and  advancement  of 
commerce,  friendly  intercourse,  and  good  under¬ 
standing  among  these  countries.  It  is  supported  by 
quotas  contributed  by  each  country,  based  upon  the 
population.  Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a  Direc¬ 
tor  General  and  Assistant  Director,  elected  by  and 
responsible  to  a  Governing  Board,  which  is  com¬ 
posed  of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States 
and  the  diplomatic  representatives  in  Washington 
of  the  other  American  governments.  These  two 
executive  officers  are  assisted  by  a  staff  of  inter¬ 
national  experts,  statisticians,  commercial  special¬ 
ists,  editors,  translators,  compilers,  librarians,  clerks 
and  stenographers.  The  Union  publishes  a  Monthly 
Bulletin  in  English,  Spanish,  Portuguese  and  French, 
which  is  a  careful  record  of  Pan  American  progress. 
It  also  publishes  numerous  special  reports  and  pam¬ 
phlets  on  various  subjects  of  practical  information. 
Its  library,  the  Columbus  Memorial  Library,  con¬ 
tains  30,000  volumes,  15,000  photographs,  100,000 
index  cards,  and  a  large  collection  of  maps.  The 
Union  is  housed  in  a  beautiful  building  erected 
through  the  munificence  of  Andrew  Carnegie. 


Press  of  Gibson  Brothers 
Washington,  D.  C. 


